U.S. deaths in drone strike due to miscommunication, report says

[UpInArms]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Washington— A Marine and a Navy medic killed by a U.S. drone airstrike were targeted when Marine commanders in Afghanistan mistook them for Taliban fighters, even though analysts watching the Predator's video feed were uncertain whether the men were part of an enemy force.

Those are the findings of a Pentagon investigation of the first known case of friendly fire deaths involving an unmanned aircraft, the April 6 attack that killed Marine Staff Sgt. Jeremy Smith, 26, and Navy Hospitalman Benjamin D. Rast, 23.

The 381-page report, which has not been released, concludes that the Marine officers on the scene and the Air Force crew controlling the drone from half a world away were unaware that analysts watching the firefight unfold via live video at a third location had doubts about the targets' identity.

The incident closely resembles another deadly mistake involving a Predator in early 2009. In that attack, at least 15 Afghan civilians were killed after a Predator crew mistook them for a group of Taliban preparing to attack a U.S. special forces unit.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/afghanistan/la-fg-pentagon-drone-20111014,0,6272924,full.story

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[windowpilot]

1. +1

Winning over the hearts, and never mind.

[zalinda]

2. Can we now stop the fucking wars? n/t

[JJW]

3. "War is peace" - President Obama

[stockholmer]

8. indeed

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HyyDHyAwI6k/SyJUpaFpcAI/AAAAAAAAHYQ/hovpZiZYalE/s1600/war+is+peace+poster.jpg

[indepat]

4. If only collateral damage could be revoked

:patriot:

[wordpix]

5. the robot wars have begun---a new phase in human history

This could make the nuclear age look benign.

[Gore1FL]

6. We had friendly fire with manned craft.

It sucked just as much then.

[The Northerner]

7. Haven't the wars and occupations been continuing for TOO long? n/t

[dipsydoodle]

9. "miscommunication" being a euphemism for a complete fuck up.

:(

[hack89]

10. Not the first, won't be the last

fortunately they are becoming pretty rare due to technology.

[Nihil]

11. "Collateral Damage" ... suck it up!

"They shouldn't have been in a combat zone if they weren't prepared to be killed."

"They had a choice."

"That's what comes of being in the same area as enemy combatants"

"Play with fire and you're gonna get burned"


Oh wait - did you say an American was killed? That changes things ...

:eyes: